Pipe clamp



W. J. ROEHL Oct. 31, 1950 PIPE CLAMP Filed March 2, 1946 INVENTOR. WlLLlAM J.ROEHL ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 31, i950 a This invention relates to pipe clamps, and it has special advantages in the clamping of pipes to underframes of railway cars. Such operations are performed under rather difiicult conditions wherein the operator is located in an uncomfortable position below the body of the car. My object is to simplify this work by the production of a pipe clamp which is forced to its clamping condition, and positively locked therein, by merely striking hammer blows on one end of a locking member.

These simple hammer blows are directed to the large end of a tapering key, and they result in bending of the reduced end of the key under conditions which result in simultaneously clamping and locking the key-operated clamp. N additional effort, or change of position of the operator, is required to insure the desired locked clamping condition.

The invention is primarily directed to the specific cooperative arrangement of details herein disclosed to illustrate a highly desirable commercial form of the invention. However, the scope of this patent extends to variations described by the claims hereunto appended.

Fig. 1 is longitudinal showing the clamping device as it appears when the key is deflected to positively lock the pipe in its clamped condition.

Fig. 2 is a similar view of the clamping elements in a loose condition, as they appear before the locking key is inserted.

Fig. 3 is a side view of the locked clamping device applied to a support which is shown in section.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 44 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side view of the elongated, tapering key in a straight condition, to be inserted into the loose clamping device shown in Fig. 2.

In this form of the invention, a pipe 6 is clamped and locked to a vertical support I, which may be considered as a part of the underframe of a railway car. This support 1 has a relatively large circular hole 8 to receive the pipe 6, and the clamping device is inserted into said hole 8.

The clamping elements include a semi-circular clamping member 9 embracing the pipe 6 and having peripheral abutments Ill adapted to interlock with the support I, said abutments It] being at opposite sides of the support 1. I

A second semi-circular clamping member II also embraces the pipe 6, and the companion clamping members 9 and II have meeting edges interlocked with each other. For example, the

lower edges of the clamping member II may be provided with lugs I2 extending into recesses I3 of the clamping member 9. This interlock pre- Application March 2, 1946, serial No. 651,643. 1Claim.- (01.248-56) 2 vents or limits longitudinal displacement of the companion clamping members.

vThe clamping member I I is not directly interlocked with the support I, but is provided with a; retaining member I4, preferably in the form'of a'. saddle having outer exposed abutments I5 and I6 which interlock with said support I, as shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4, during the clamping operation. The retaining saddle I4 is then separated from the clamping member I I.

However, at a preliminary stage shown by Fig. 2, the retaining member I4 may be loosely seated on the clampin member II. This loose condition permits the small lug I5 of the retaining saddle to pass through the hole 8 of the support I, and the parts are thus loosely assembled to receive a self-locking key II. This elongated tapering key, in a straight condition, is shown in Fig. 5.

The retaining saddle I4 is provided with an internal longitudinal guideway I8, which may be inclined at the top to receive the inclined top face of the tapering key IT. The clamping member I I is provided with an external guideway I9 facing said internal guideway I8. These guideways I8 and I9 form an elongated tapering passageway in a direction longitudinally of the pipe 6. The reduced end of the straight key I'I (Fig. 5) is freely inserted into the registering guideways I8 and I9, shown in Fig. 2, so as to shift the loose saddle I4 into positive interlocking engagement with the support I. The large end of said key I! is then subjected to forcible hammer blows which tighten the clamping device.

Attention is now directed to a means for positively locking the clamping device in its tightened condition.

The guideway I9 has an inclined cam extension 20 at one end in a line extending away from the axis of the pipe, to receive and deflect the reduced end of the slidable key I I in response to hammer blows at the opposite end of said key. More specifically stated, this inclined cam extension 20 is preferably adjacent to but immediately beyond an end of the saddle I4, so as to positively bend the key at said end of the saddle.

It will be important to observe that the saddle I4 is shorter than the top clamping member II, and that the outwardly inclined cam extension 20 lies immediately beyond an end of the shortened saddle, so as to provide for free outward bending of the key I! at said end of the saddle. Under these specific conditions, the body of the key will be firmly seated between the bottom of the saddle I 4 and the top clamping member II,

3 while the reduced end of the key is deflected outwardly, away from the pipe 6, in an area between the cam 20 and an end of the deliberately shortened saddle.

I claim:

A pipe clamp comprising a semi-circular clamping member having peripheral abutments adapted to interlock witha support, a second semi-circular clamping member,- said clamping members having meeting edges interlocked with each other, a retaining saddle located adjacent to but separated from said second clamping member, said retaining saddle having outer exposed abutments adapted to interlock with said supportand an internal longitudinal guideway, said second clamping member being provided with an'external longitudinal guideway facing saidinternal guideway, one of said longitudinal guideways" being at an angle to the' other so as to form an elongated tapering passageway'in a direction 20 longitudinally of the pipeyand"an'elongated taperin key slidable in said guidewaysto force'the clamping members into clamping engagement with the pipe, the external guideway of said second clamping member having an outwardly inclined cam extension at one end in a line extending away from the axis of the pipe, to deflect the reduced end of said slidable key away from the pipe in response to hammer blows at the opposite end of said key, said saddle being shorter than said second clamping member, and said outward- 1y ,inclinedzcamextension being adjacent to but immediately beyond an end of said relatively short saddle, so as to provide for free outward bending of the key at said end of the saddle.

WILLIAM J. ROEHL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,710,965 Burnett Apr. 30,1929 1,749,135 Harter Mar. 4, 1930 

